Think I have the bug

[BBBANDIT]

Just got back from Hattiesburg Cycles in Ms. and all I can say is that I was impressed. Found the bike very enjoyable. Did about a 20min. test ride on a 2013 RT-S (yellow) following the owners son and I think that I am hooked. Found out that I will have to unlearn some things that I have been doing on a 2 wheel bike for years. Not just impressed with the bike but with the dealership also. It is about 160 trip (each way) from Baton Rouge, but if the dealership is as good as these people seem to be, that is not a bad distance to travel. They told me that they had trouble with the ball joints on all of the 2013 and they replaced them as soon as the bike comes in. I see what people talk about when they say the dealership can make all the difference. The RT-S that I rode was very smooth and I think that it gets my vote as my new bike. Is there anything that I should be cautious of with a new bike? I am curious if the extended warranty is worth getting and if there is anything else that I should look out for. Planning to make the purchase within the next 2 wks. so I can be ready for the rally in Maggie Vally. Would like any and all input that I can get on the new bikes. I have read that it is worth getting a 2013 even if I can get a better deal on a 2012 leftover.

[SPYD1]

If you find a dealer you like then deal with them. A warranty is like insurance sometimes it pays to have it and sometimes not. It's your call. I've always thought that anything major will come out on the factory warranty but that's my thought. I recommend making your best deal and then try to get free stuff like the first oil change or a discount on your 600 mile check. Nice bike your considering. Good luck.

[Chupaca]

congrats..the full one will follow the picture of you and the roadster. Extended warranties are good to have but you don't have to get it right away. Just before the end of the factory warranty (two years). Hope to hear from you in two weeks....

[Paulf10]

I have a 2012 RT limited with a little over 8,000 miles on it. When I bought it new last year I just rode it. I haven't had a bit of trouble with it, but there was some serious unlearning to do! It was all fun though. For the first couple of thousand miles the 75 mph highway riding was dicey, but that was all me! It felt like the Spyder wanted to through me off it. Reality was me over controlling and over steering and putting a death grip on the bars. Now.... Well now it's all just awesome relaxed fun riding.

Also I had the good fortune to ride with other Spyder Riders yesterday. One of them had a 2013 yellow RTS. I thought it looked outstanding with the black wheels. Although I can honestly say, I've never seen a Spyder I didn't like!

[DoggyDaddy]

I purchased my 2012 RT Limited in February and decided to get an extended warranty/service contract through Western Service (as opposed to the BRP BEST warranty) based upon the recommendation of the dealer (Chaparral Motorsports in San Bernardino). I rarely purchase extended warranties but felt it was a good idea considering the complexity of the Spyder and all the high tech stuff that might go wrong. I figure it will pay for itself if I have just one big problem after the BRP warranty expires.

One thing I would suggest is deciding what extras you may want to add at a later date and see if any of those features are offered on the Limited. I definitely wanted the Garmin GPS and the cost to add it at a later date convinced me to get the Limited instead of the S. I also decided that the semi-automatic tranny was the way to go so my wife could ride it in a pinch (she has a Piaggio MP3 scooter) as she is not a "shifter". The dealer was able to get me a better deal on the Limited so the decision became a no-brainer.

The other thing I would suggest is reading as many posts in this forum as possible. I spent months reading it so I had a good idea what changes I would possibly make after the initial purchase. I figured a couple of months in the saddle without any changes would help me prioritize what I want to do to personalize the Spyder. This also allowed my wife to give me feedback on her rants (few) and raves (many).

Finally, don't get freaked out by the mpg you get on the Spyder. You can expect the mileage (using high octane) to range from the high 20's to the low 30's based upon what many others are getting. Initially, the mpg issue almost convinced me to get a Victory CCT but I ultimately decided that 28 to 32 is about what I get on my car, so what's the big deal!

I'm enjoying my Spyder more and more after every ride and so is my wife. It was a great purchase for us!

[Paulf10]

Well said DoggyDaddy. And some excellent points as well.

[Warlock]

Just got back from Hattiesburg Cycles in Ms. and all I can say is that I was impressed. Found the bike very enjoyable. Did about a 20min. test ride on a 2013 RT-S (yellow) following the owners son and I think that I am hooked. Found out that I will have to unlearn some things that I have been doing on a 2 wheel bike for years. Not just impressed with the bike but with the dealership also. It is about 160 trip (each way) from Baton Rouge, but if the dealership is as good as these people seem to be, that is not a bad distance to travel. They told me that they had trouble with the ball joints on all of the 2013 and they replaced them as soon as the bike comes in. I see what people talk about when they say the dealership can make all the difference. The RT-S that I rode was very smooth and I think that it gets my vote as my new bike. Is there anything that I should be cautious of with a new bike? I am curious if the extended warranty is worth getting and if there is anything else that I should look out for. Planning to make the purchase within the next 2 wks. so I can be ready for the rally in Maggie Vally. Would like any and all input that I can get on the new bikes. I have read that it is worth getting a 2013 even if I can get a better deal on a 2012 leftover.

Their service dept is real slow. Took them over a month to replace a kill switch on my wife Spyder. Of course being I didn't buy from them might be one reason. I wanted to buy, but Greeneville, Tx beat their price by $4000.00.
David